Bob Evans Farm Festival returns Oct. 12

The Bob Evans Farm Festival has become a celebration of southeast Ohio and Appalachian culture, say supporters.

File photos

RIO GRANDE — Families look forward to one of the biggest events of the year as the 48th Bob Evans Farm Festival arrives in Rio Grande Oct. 12-14.

The festival attracts literally thousands of people to Gallia County with activities like performances from lumberjacks and chainsaw carvers, animals from the Columbus Zoo, and farm demonstrations including demonstrations from Team Zoom Border Collies and cow milking with the Laurel Valley Creamery. Kids’ Farmyard Fun area for face painting, a hay bale maze, game tent, kiddie train rides, corn pile, pig racing and more. Families can also take a trip through an authentic log cabin village, which includes four cabins and a one-room schoolhouse that have all been reconstructed on the Bob Evans Farm. Then there’s the food, including bean soup, cornbread, apple dumplings, apple cider, kettle corn and other farm festival fare.

On the O’Neil Entertainment Stage: Friday and Sunday, at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., Taps in Motion Cloggers will be on stage. On Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and2 p.m., the Columbus Zoo will present six to eight animals with a handler speaking about the animals’ habitats, habits and conservation.

In the barnyard tent all weekend at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., cow milking demonstrations will be presented by Laurel Valley Creamery along with Sheep Shearing by Stanley Strode and H & R farms showing up close views of farm animals, including alpacas, goats, chickens, ducks, donkeys and more.

Ongoing displays and demonstrations include Stihl Pro Chainsaw Carving, a firetruck display by Rio Grande Fire Department, military demonstrations to be announced, the Wayne National Forest educational materials and Smokey the Bear, Ohio State Parks and Division of Watercraft educational display, Ohio Division of Wildlife educational materials.

Registrations for contests are held from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. A kiddie pedal tractor pull will be held at 11 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. for adults and kids 12 and under are team cow chip tossing contests, corn shelling, team egg toss, pie eating, donut eating, stick horse racing. For children 12 and under, they can compete in field sack races. For children six and under, they can compete in chicken scratch.

Primitive camping is available Oct. 9 through Oct. 15, free and includes a dump station, potable water, outhouses and 24 hour security.